The present invention is directed to a cassette and to a cassette block for connecting and branching light waveguides. The light waveguides are joined by connector elements, such as splices, or by coupling elements, which can be couplers or splitters. What is referred to as the "reserve length" of the light waveguide is placed in the cassette.
A cassette for the acceptance of light waveguides is disclosed in German Published Application 34 13 401. As disclosed, two leads are tangentially conducted to the deposited light waveguides offset from the outside from the middle of the end face of the cassette, and the cassette has hold-down means to prevent the fibers from ascending or moving in a vertical direction. The reserve length of the light waveguides are usually only placed after the splice connection has been produced. When these reserve lengths are placed in circles or ovals, then the light waveguide is turned with every loop formed. When a plurality of loops are necessary, this leads to a high stress, which makes manipulation of the light waveguides more difficult and also lends to an increase in the attenuation.
Various solutions for avoiding this problem are known. A figure-eight-shaped deposit of light waveguides is disclosed by Japanese Published Application 55-62414.
The above two cassettes are actually more suitable for connecting light waveguides than for branching to a plurality of light waveguides and, accordingly, receive only two leads. A plurality of leads and a plurality of cassettes are often required when branching light waveguides via couplers. It is known per se to combine the plurality of cassettes to form a cassette block.